As part of activities to mark the 2024 International Women’s Day, the African Food Changemakers (AFC) has unveiled cohort of its African Women in Food Fellowship (LAWFF).
The cohort comprises of 31 distinguished fellows across five dynamic categories: disruptors, trailblazers, food & beverage narrative changers, top chefs in Africa, and ecosystem enablers.
“The fellowship was established to address the limited participation of female voices in agricultural dialogues across diverse platforms, including conferences, and to provide support in overcoming the challenges they encounter throughout their careers,” Ndidi Nwuneli, founder & executive chair of AFC said in a statement.
Nwuneli launched the Leading African Women in Food Fellowship in 2023, to bridge the gap of insufficient African females in the agricultural sector.
The programme, aligning with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and funded by the SKOLL Foundation, was born out of a commitment to amplify, champion, and advance the work of African women changemakers.
“In a landscape where African women are the unsung heroes of agriculture, their extraordinary contributions often go unnoticed.”
Recent research by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, African Women in Agribusiness Network, and the International Food Policy Research Institute has revealed that only 13 percent of agricultural news stories feature women as primary sources, dropping to a mere seven percent in Sub-Saharan Africa.
At its inaugural in 2023, LAWFF empowered over 25 Women Fellows through intensive training, mentorship, visibility enhancement, media advocacy, and strategic connections.
These fellows actively participated in industry events, enriching discussions with invaluable insights. A remarkable pool of 640 inspiring leaders from 12 African countries were nominated.
The selection process for these exceptional fellows involved meticulous nomination, thorough screening, and a comprehensive review by an independent selection committee of distinguished leaders in the gender equality movement and the food ecosystem.
The Leading African Women in Food Fellowship represents the latest effort by the African Food Changemakers to support African agri-food entrepreneurs.
The organisation has successfully implemented programmes impacting more than 22,718 young entrepreneurs across the agriculture value chain since 2019.
The organisation’s event aligned with the International Women’s Day theme: “Inspire Inclusion,” featured esteemed speakers from the private and development sectors across Africa, such as Eleni Gabre-Madhim, Maureen Miruka, and Heather Akanni.
